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He will be safe," said Bududreen, "for two of my men are waiting to guide you

and the doctor to the ship in case you returned to camp before I found you.

Come, we will hasten on to the harbor. Your father will be worried if we are long

delayed, and he is anxious to make sail and escape before the Dyaks discover the

location of the Ithaca."

The man's story seemed plausible enough to Virginia, although she could not

repress a little pang of regret that her father had been willing to go on to the

harbor before he knew her fate. However, she explained that by her belief that

his mind was unbalanced through constant application to his weird obsession.

Without demur, then, she turned and accompanied the rascally Malay toward the

harbor. At the bank of the little stream which led down to the Ithaca's berth the

man lifted her to his shoulder and thus bore her the balance of the way to the

beach. Here two of his men were awaiting him in one of the ship's boats, and

without words they embarked and pulled for the vessel.

Once on board Virginia started immediately for her father's cabin. As she crossed

the deck she noticed that the ship was ready to sail, and even as she descended

the companionway she heard the rattle of the anchor chain about the capstan.

She wondered if von Horn could be on board too. It seemed remarkable that all

should have reached the Ithaca so quickly, and equally strange that none of her

own people were on deck to welcome her, or to command the vessel.

To her chagrin she found her father's cabin empty, and a moment's hurried

investigation disclosed the fact that von Horn's was unoccupied as well. Now her

doubts turned quickly to fears, and with a little gasp of dismay at the grim

possibilities which surged through her imagination she ran quickly to the

companionway, but above her she saw that the hatch was down, and when she

reached the top that it was fastened. Futilely she beat upon the heavy planks

with her delicate hands, calling aloud to Bududreen to release her, but there was

no reply, and with the realization of the hopelessness of her position she dropped

back to the deck, and returned to her stateroom. Here she locked and barricaded

the door as best she could, and throwing herself upon the berth awaited in dry-

eyed terror the next blow that fate held in store for her.

Shortly after von Horn became separated from Virginia he collided with the fleeing

lascar who had escaped the parangs of Muda Saffir's head hunters at the same

time as had Bududreen. So terror stricken was the fellow that he had thrown

away his weapons in the panic of flight, which was all that saved von Horn from

death at the hands of the fear crazed man. To him, in the extremity of his fright,

every man was an enemy, and the doctor had a tough scuffle with him before he

could impress upon the fellow that he was a friend.

The Monster Men